On Wednesday 03/07/19, Steve, Bella and Dave (with Ibra joining mid way through) headed up to Chollerford for a spot of wild swimming in the North River Tyne.

We parked behind The George and walked round to the front of the Hotel entering the river (with a small audience) via the small landing inside the Hotel grounds. It is also possible to enter from the south side of the bridge (as we saw others do) but we had no issues going through the Hotel grounds; Ibra even strolled through the hotel itself in his wetsuit, a sight the patrons wont forget in a hurry I’m sure!

Despite the water being murky (we suspect due to the peaty nature of Northumberland) it was surprisingly warm and very calm! We waded out into the middle of the river before setting off upstream, away from the bridge. Despite not being able to see the bottom we were able to stand the majority of the way, making it an ideal spot for experienced and new open water swimmers alike.

Once in the river we headed north for around 700m, though further is reportedly possible (we found it a bit shallow) before turning round, then repeating. Not a bad way to get a 3km swim in!

Remember to always stay safe whilst swimming, ideally using a swim buoy, and not swimming alone. The Royal Society of Life Saving provide some useful tips here: https://www.rlss.org.uk/open-water-safety

Ironman also provide some more race orientated tips here: http://eu.ironman.com/triathlon/organizations/swimsmart.aspx#axzz5sboZBukU

For those new to open water swimming, always ensure you are not alone (either with others in the water or watching from nearby on shore) and stay to the shallower edges of the river.

Given the success of this swim we are hoping to make it a semi-regular event; keep an eye of the Club Facebook Page for details!

Let us know if you head there for a swim, or know of any other hidden gems around the North East!

Steve